Kings County
Obtain property records, title searches, and deed copies for Hanford, Lemoore, Corcoran, and all Kings County communities. Access deeds, liens, mortgages, judgments, and recorded documents. Reports delivered in PDF format — 7 days a week. No login required.
Kings County Assessor-Clerk-Recorder — Overview
Kings County spans 1,392 square miles of some of the most productive agricultural land on the planet — but the property records here tell a story that goes far beyond row crops. With Lemoore Naval Air Station imposing flight-path easements on one side and Williamson Act contracts locking up hundreds of thousands of acres on the other, a Kings County title search requires navigating military deed restrictions, agricultural preservation covenants, and water district share transfers that have no parallel in urban California counties.
Kings County at a Glance
Central Valley agricultural county with dairy and cotton production
The office is located at 1400 West Lacey Blvd, Hanford, CA 93230. Office hours are Mon–Fri 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (recording until 3:00 PM). Phone: (559) 852-2470.
Where Naval Air Meets the Nation's Breadbasket
Kings County sits at the crossroads of two worlds that rarely intersect — the massive Lemoore Naval Air Station (the Navy's newest and largest Master Jet Base on the West Coast) and some of the most productive agricultural land on earth. This duality stamps property records in ways unique to Kings County. Parcels near the base carry Accident Potential Zone (APZ) deed restrictions that limit residential density and building heights. Agricultural parcels throughout the county's four cities carry Williamson Act contracts — California Land Conservation Act agreements that reduce property taxes in exchange for 10-year rolling commitments to keep land in agricultural production. Breaking a Williamson Act contract triggers penalties that are recorded as liens against the property. The Southern Pacific Railroad's 1877 land grants created the original parcel framework still visible in Kings County deed records, where the township-range-section system from those railroad grants remains the primary legal description method for rural parcels.
Kings County Recording Fees
The following fee schedule reflects current Kings County recording charges. All fees are subject to change; verify with the Recorder's office before submitting documents.
| First page (per title) | $13.00 |
| Each additional page | $3.00 |
| SB2 Building Homes & Jobs Act | $75.00 per parcel (max $225) |
| Non-conforming page | $3.00/page surcharge |
| Document copy — first page | $3.00 |
| Document copy — additional | $0.50 |
| Certification | $1.00 |
| PCOR penalty | $20.00 |
| Documentary Transfer Tax | $1.10 per $1,000 |
The SB2 Building Homes and Jobs Act fee applies to recordings in Kings County at $75.00 per parcel, capped at $225.00 per transaction. Documents that include a documentary transfer tax declaration are exempt from SB2, as are residential owner-occupier transfers.
Kings County Record Search
Free searchable indexes online; full documents on microfilm in-office only. The Assessor's Office provides separate online tools for parcel data, assessed values, and property tax information.
E-Recording: Not currently available. Documents may also be submitted in person during business hours or by mail to the Recorder's office at 1400 West Lacey Blvd, Hanford, CA 93230.
Kings County Property Issues — What Makes This Market Unique
Williamson Act Contract Complications
Over 400,000 acres in Kings County are under Williamson Act contracts. When agricultural land changes hands, the buyer inherits the contract's remaining term. Non-renewal petitions, cancellation penalties (typically 12.5% of unrestricted land value), and contract transfers all generate recorded instruments that must appear in any thorough title search.
Naval Air Station Easements
Lemoore NAS generates noise contour easements, Accident Potential Zone restrictions, and height limitation covenants recorded against surrounding parcels. Properties within the Air Installations Compatible Use Zone (AICUZ) carry recorded deed notices that affect permissible land use and development density.
Water District Share Transfers
Kings County properties in the Kings River Conservation District, Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District, and other local agencies carry water allocation rights that transfer separately from land ownership. These water right transfers are recorded instruments that must be tracked independently from the underlying real property deed.
Prison-Adjacent Property Impacts
Corcoran is home to two California state prisons. Properties within designated buffer zones carry recorded use restrictions and disclosure requirements that affect title examination and property valuations.
How to Record a Document in Kings County
Kings County records documents at the Government Center on West Lacey Boulevard in Hanford, Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Same-day recording submissions must arrive by 3:00 PM, with title company submissions accepted between 8:00 and 8:30 AM. Documents must comply with all California recording requirements. Payment by cash, check, or money order.
Documents submitted for recording in Kings County must meet California Government Code §27361 standards: 8.5" × 11" white paper, black ink, minimum 3-inch top margin on the first page, and 1-inch margins elsewhere. Non-conforming documents incur a $3.00 surcharge per non-standard page or may be rejected outright.
Pro tip: Kings County requires title company submissions between 8:00–8:30 AM. General public submissions are accepted 8:30 AM–3:00 PM for same-day recording. Plan accordingly for time-sensitive closings.
Complete Guide to Kings County Property Records
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Most Kings County property record searches begin processing immediately. Standard title report delivery within 1-2 business days.
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Our property title search covers all recorded documents including deeds, mortgages, liens, judgments, lis pendens, and tax records for any Kings County property.
✓ Kings Experts
Have questions about your Kings County title search? Our team provides free consultation 7 days a week to help you understand your property records.
Title Search FAQs for Kings County
Property Title Search Services for Kings County
Kings County FAQ
Understanding Kings County Property Documents & Title Complexities
Property transactions in Kings County carry distinctive characteristics shaped by the county's Central Valley agriculture with high-speed rail corridor impact, Lemoore Naval Air Station proximity. Title searches and lien investigations here must account for these local factors that standard nationwide databases often miss.
Grant deeds are the primary instrument for transferring real property in Kings County. Under California law, grant deeds provide two implied warranties: that the grantor has not previously conveyed the same property, and that the property is free from encumbrances created by the grantor except those already disclosed. Each transfer in the chain of title is examined to verify these warranties were maintained throughout the ownership history.
Deeds of trust function as the security instrument for Kings County mortgages, creating a three-party arrangement between the trustor (borrower), beneficiary (lender), and trustee (neutral third party). When loans are satisfied, a reconveyance deed must be recorded to release the lien. Unreleased deeds of trust are a common title search finding that requires remediation before clear title can be established for a property transfer.
One of the critical title considerations unique to Kings County involves high-speed rail eminent domain actions creating partial-take situations, military noise easements near NAS Lemoore. These factors require specialized knowledge of local recording practices and cannot be identified through automated title plant searches alone. Professional title examiners familiar with Kings County's recording history are essential for identifying and resolving these issues before they delay a transaction.
Mechanic's liens in California follow strict recording deadlines that vary based on the claimant's role. Direct contractors, subcontractors, and material suppliers each face different preliminary notice and lien recording timeframes. For Kings County properties, these liens take priority from the date work commenced rather than the recording date, making them particularly important in title searches for recently constructed or renovated properties near Hanford.
Abstract of judgment liens attach to all real property owned by the judgment debtor in Kings County upon recording. These liens remain effective for ten years with renewal options, making historical judgment searches essential. Comprehensive title examinations check for abstracts of judgment filed against both current and prior owners to prevent undisclosed liens from surviving a property transfer.
Easements recorded against Kings County properties encompass utility easements, access easements, conservation easements, and prescriptive easements established through continuous use. Given that Central Valley agriculture with high-speed rail corridor impact, Lemoore Naval Air Station proximity, easement research in this county often reveals encumbrances that significantly affect property use and development potential. A preliminary title report identifies all recorded easements and their specific terms, enabling buyers to make informed decisions before committing to a purchase.
Lis pendens notices recorded in Kings County alert prospective buyers to pending litigation that may affect title. These can involve boundary disputes, partition actions among co-owners, foreclosure proceedings, or challenges to the validity of prior conveyances. Any active lis pendens identified during a title search should be carefully evaluated with legal counsel before proceeding with a transaction, as these notices can cloud title and complicate financing.
Counties Neighboring Kings
Kings County Property Services
Kings & Central Valley Counties
California Recording Requirements for Kings County
All documents submitted for recording in Kings County must comply with California Government Code Sections 27201 through 27383, which establish formatting requirements for recordable instruments. Documents must be on paper no smaller than 8.5 by 11 inches, printed in black ink with a font size no smaller than 8 point, and include a 2.5-inch top margin on the first page for recorder stamps. Documents that fail to meet these specifications are subject to additional non-conforming fees or may be rejected entirely by the recorder's office.
California's documentary transfer tax, calculated at $1.10 per $1,000 of consideration, applies to all transfers of real property in Kings County unless a specific exemption applies. Common exemptions include transfers between spouses, transfers to revocable trusts where the transferor is the beneficiary, and transfers where no consideration is exchanged. The transfer tax declaration must be completed on or attached to the deed at the time of recording, and the amount paid becomes part of the public record accessible through property searches.
Preliminary change of ownership reports are required to accompany all deeds recorded in Kings County under Revenue and Taxation Code Section 480. Failure to file this report results in a penalty assessment by the county assessor. The PCOR provides the assessor with information needed to determine whether a reassessment under Proposition 13 is triggered by the transfer, making it a critical document in the recording process that affects ongoing property tax obligations.
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Kings County Official Resources
For Kings County property record verification, these California government resources provide authoritative information:
- California Secretary of State – Business entity searches and UCC filings
- California Department of Real Estate – Licensing and regulatory information
- State Board of Equalization – Property tax assessment standards